The R.N. to M.S.N. program is designed for students who possess a record of academic excellence and wish to accelerate their progress toward earning a master’s degree. While pursuing the MSN, students will earn a B.S.N. degree when degree requirements have been met. Admission to the R.N. to M.S.N. program considers the additional requirements of the M.S.N. program.

This course includes experiences and instruction that promote professional communication. Content includes correct utilization of the American Psychological Association (APA) style, construction of professional papers and emails, and using common presentation software. This course is designed to be taken either concurrently or before the first nursing course in which the student is enrolled at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

NURS 2330 Health Assessment (3 hours)

An introduction to basic knowledge and skills necessary to obtain a detailed health assessment of individuals across the age continuum. The biological, sociological, and psychological aspects of human beings are addressed. Emphasis is placed on obtaining a systematic health history and physical exam using the techniques of inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. Supervised laboratory and clinical allow the student the opportunity to practice the assessment skills introduced in class.

NURS 3340 Health Care Ethics (3 hours)

This introduction to the study of ethics uses primary sources for the analysis of present day ethical dilemmas in health care. The course examines some of the prominent moral principles and systems of the western tradition from Aristotle to the present and how those principles are applied to issues in health care ethics.Prerequisite(s): Junior Sanding and permission of the instructor.

NURS 3360 Introduction to Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice (4 hours)

This course provides an introduction to the research process and prepares students to be beginning consumers of nursing research. Emphasis is placed on critically evaluating nursing research studies and understanding the process of utilizing research for evidence-based practice. Various types of research and research methods as well as basic statistical methods will be discussed.Preorequisite(s): Admission to the B.S.N. program.
Pre or corequisite(s): Statistics course.

NURS 4400 Management and Leadership in Health Care (4 hours)

This course assumes the student possesses basic leadership and management skills, and further examines the role of the baccalaureate nurse as a manager in health care organizations. The roles of the nurse manager are analyzed for each of the management functions: planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. External factors influencing the nurse manager are also examined. Students are able to select their clinical experience in management from a variety of health care organizations and settings.
3 hours lecture; 1 hour clinical.Pre or corequisite(s): NURS 3050 Issues of Professional Nursing Practice and NURS 3310 Nursing Theories or permission of the instructor or the Nursing Program Director.

NURS 4450 Nursing of Families and Groups in the Community (3 hours)

This course focuses on the application of community health nursing concepts with individuals, families, and groups. Emphasis is placed on applying the nursing process to problems of persons from a variety of cultural groups and to those with developmental and situational crises.Prerequisite(s): NURS 3310 Nursing Theories, NURS 2330 Health Assessment, NURS 3360 Introduction to Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice, and a lifespan development course.

NURS 4500 Population Based Nursing Practice (4 hours)

This course focuses on the application of community health nursing concepts with selected individuals, families, groups and communities. Health concerns of the group/community are identified and addressed using health program planning skills. Research is evaluated for its use in community health settings.
3 hours lecture; 1 hour clinical.Prerequisite(s): NURS 3050 Issues of Professional Nursing Practice, NURS 3310 Nursing Theories, NURS 2330 Health Assessment, NURS 3340 Health Care Ethics, NURS 3360 Introduction to Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice, NURS 4400 Management and Leadership in Health Care, and NURS 4450 Nursing of Families and Groups in the Community.

NURS 5020 Health Care Statistics (3 hours)

This course examines selected concepts needed to develop sound judgment about data analysis and appropriate use of statistics. The course prepares students to interpret and critically anlyze the results of health care research.Prerequisite(s): Undergraduate statistics course or permission of the program director.

NURS 5050 Research and Evidence Based Practice in Nursing and Health Care (3 hours)

This course focuses on quantitative and qualitative research areas and methods used in health care. Analysis of the research process and application of research findings to health care will be emphasized. Students will design a best practice proposal related to an identified problem in nursing, health outcomes of a specific population or nursing education. At the end of the course students will have completed a literature review and methods section for a research project.Prerequisite(s): Admission to the graduate program or permission of the Nursing Program Director.

NURS 5100 Transcultural Health Care (3 hours)

This course analyzes the social, political, economic and cultural factors related to transcultural health care. Students will examine the interactions of consumers, providers and health care systems in the provision of quality health care with an emphasis on provision of culturally competent care.Prerequisite(s): Admission to the graduate program or permission of Nursing Program Director.

NURS 5150 Concepts and Theories in Nursing (3 hours)

This course examines selected concepts and theories that are derived from nursing and other disciplines for applicability to practice in a variety of health care settings. Strategies used in applying and evaluating nursing theories in relation to providing care will be discussed.Prerequisite(s): Admission to the graduate program or permission of the Nursing Program Director.

NURS 5200 Critical Issues in Health Care (3 hours)

This course examines multiple factors affecting the provision of care in an ever-changing health care system. The U.S. health policy-making system; ethical, legal, and political aspects of health care; and health care delivery systems will be explored, particularly in relation to their impact on nursing practice and nurses' ability to provide care. A historical perspective will facilitate a) identification of critical issues, b) understanding of how they developed to their current status, and c) examination of what options might exist for current and future resolution of these issues.Prerequisite(s): Admission to the graduate program or permission of Nursing Program Director.

NURS 3040 Women's Health: Global Perspective (3 hours)

This course introduces women’s health with and emphasis on global issues. Women’s health will be examined using the influences of social, political, economic, cultural, and geographical factors. Students will examine the basic health needs of all women and compare the availability of and types of services in different parts of the world.
Course is over 8-week period.

NURS 4960 Special Projects (1-3 hours)

Supervised individual projects in conjunction with departmental research and student interest. Special Projects may not duplicate courses described in the catalog.Prerequisite(s): Approval of the instructor.

NURS 5500 Principles of Teaching and Learning (3 hours)

The focus of this course is on educational theories and issues, and their implications for the teaching process. Teaching and learning distinctions, the domains of learning, and assessment of student learning outcomes are components of this course.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5050 Research and Evidence Based Practice in Nursing and Health Care, NURS 5100 Transcultural Health Care, and NURS 5150 Concepts and Theories in Nursing or permission of Nursing Program Director.

NURS 5520 Curriculum Development in Nursing (3 hours)

This course focuses on the analysis and application of curriculum theory in the development and evaluation of programs in nursing education. Development of programs for continuing education for professionals and/or the public also is a component of the course.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5500 Principles of Teaching and Learning.

NURS 5530 Innovative Nursing Education Strategies (3 hours)

This course assists the nurse educator in the development of innovative nursing education strategies in an area of practice of the student's choice. Emphasis is placed on research-based practice in education through the application of models and theories and the development of strategies for targeted populations. The majority of the course is web based; however, students meet face to face the first and last weeks of the term.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5520 Curriculum Development in Nursing.
Corequisite(s): NURS 5560 Teaching Strategies and Evaluation.

NURS 5560 Teaching Strategies and Evaluation (3 hours)

This course focuses on teaching strategies to enhance the organization and the delivery of educational content. Assessment of student outcomes and of educational programs is also emphasized.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5520 Curriculum Development in Nursing.

NURS 5570 Program Planning in Nursing (3 hours)

This course focuses on the analysis and application of program planning and on planning the development and evaluation of programs for continuing education for professionals and/or the public.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5530 Innovative Nursing Education Strategies and NURS 5560 Teaching Strategies and Evaluation, or permission of the program director.

NURS 5580 Nursing Education: Implementation and Evaluation (3 hours)

Emphasis of this course is the implementation of the nursing education experience designed in NURS 5570 Program Planning in Nursing. Students also evaluate existing online nursing education experiences ranging from continuing education credit to entire nursing education programs.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5570 Program Planning in Nursing or permission of the instructor.

NURS 5590 Professional Nurse Educator Practicum (3 hours)

This course focuses on the development of the nurse educator. The course includes 8 hours of lecture/discussion and 30 hours of practicum within a clinical nursing setting that may include healthcare consumer education, healthcare provider staff development or nursing education. Additional hours will be required for preparation of the course assignments.

NURS 5400 Nursing Leadership and Management I (3 hours)

This course examines the multiple roles of the nurse executive in a variety of health care organizations, including long term care, community based care, hospitals and larger integrated delivery systems. Students develop knowledge in the area of health care regulations and accreditation including the impact of technology in the health care environoment.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5050 Research and Evidence Based Practice in Nursing and Health Care, NURS 5100 Transcultural Health Care, NURS 5150 Concepts and Theories in Nursing or permission of Nursing Program Director.

NURS 5410 Economic Policy in Health Care System (3 hours)

This course provides basic knowledge of macro- and micro-economics and their relationship to the health care system in the United States. Concepts associated with supply and demand, normative and positive economics, utility, scarcity, choice, and marginality are explored in terms of the health care system. The concept of health as an investment opportunity and as a consumer good is also explored. In addition, the United States health care system is studied from an economic point of view. Economic decision making in light of professional ethics is emphasized.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5400 Nursing Leadership and Management I.

NURS 5420 Finance and Accounting in Health Care System (3 hours)

This course provides an overview of the concepts of financial anlysis, financial and managerial accounting, and budgetary practices as they relate to the health care industry. Accounting concepts are understood with the assistance of electronic spreadsheet applications. Financial concepts are understood through the analysis of both for-profit and not-for-profit corporate accounting and public reporting.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5400 Nursing Leadership and Management I and NURS 5410 Economic Policy in Health Care System.

This course provides the student with experience functioning within selected components of the role of the nurse executive in a variety of health care organizations, including long term care, community based care, hospitals, and larger integrated delivery systems. Students are paired with a nurse executive or case manager with a mutually agreed upon agency.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5400 Nursing Leadership and Management I, NURS 5410 Economic Policy in Health Care System, NURS 5420 Finance and Accounting in Health Care System, and NURS 5460 Nursing Leadership and Management II.

NURS 5480 Case Management (3 hours)

This course prepares the student to develop the role of case manager in a variety of settings. The student will use the stages of managed care to determine current agency progress and project future organizational status and programs. Students will develop a set of indicators of effectiveness and quality of care as well as plan for their analyses.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5420 Finance and Accounting in Health Care System and NURS 5460 Nursing Leadership and Management II, or permission of the program director.

NURS 5490 Nurse as Entrepreneur (3 hours)

This course presents information needed by a nurse entrepreneur to develop innovative forms of nursing practice and care delivery. Emphasis is placed on acquiring skills to develop a nursing business plan, including financial and legal components. Implementation of risk management and total quality improvement plans within the role of the small business setting are also covered.Prerequisite(s): NURS 5410 Economic Policy in Health Care System and NURS 5420 Finance and Accounting in Health Care System.

NURS 5990 Major Project in Nursing (3 hours)

This course is a culmination of the graduate nursing courses in which the student will develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-faceted program related to the student's M.S.N. speciality area. The program will be research-based and incorporate theories, skills, and methodologies from prior course work. Emphasis will be placed on target populations and the compatibility of the project with the mission and culture of the organization in which the project is being conducted. NURS 5990 Major Project in Nursing may not be repeated.Prerequisite(s): All other courses in the designated MSN specialty area.

BIO 4700 Pathophysiology (3 hours)

A survey of the mechanisms of diseases and fundamental disease processes of each organ system. Special topics related to the study of diseases will be assigned.Prerequisite(s): BIO 1090 Human Anatomy and Physiology and BIO 1100 Human Anatomy and Physiology, or BIO 3200 Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology I and BIO 3210 Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology II, or permission of the instructor.
(Normally offered each semester.)

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PDF version as the official catalog of NWU. NWU reserves the right to make changes in the regulations
and offerings announced in this official online version, as circumstances require. It is expected that
the only changes will be the correction of errors and the inclusion of new courses and programs approved
during the academic year.